Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
Drum Miking 101, Part 2: Two-Microphone Setups
Last month we began this series by exploring three different ways to record a drumset with a single microphone. The distance between the mic and the drumset was our focus. This month we’re adding a second microphone. We’ll explore the…
Basics - The Lindy Beat by Rich Redmond
The classic rhythm we’re exploring this month has weathered the test of time since first appearing in the early twentieth century. The pattern is associated with the jazz dance called the Lindy hop, which originated in Manhattan’s Harlem neighborhood in…
Strictly Technique - Consecutive Flams part 3: Inverted Motion
In the third installment of this series, we’re going to modify the exercise by removing one tap from the transitions. Instead of using a flam accent to shift from one hand to the next, we’ll use an inverted flam tap.…
Odd Groupings Over Samba with Mike Johnston
What do you do when you have two things in the refrigerator or pantry that taste awesome by themselves? You put them together! You start simple, combining things like peanut butter and jelly, eggs and bacon, milk and cereal. Then…
Creating Opportunity - Five Key Components for the Working Drummer
This month’s column is about creating opportunity for yourself. Our quotation by the American author H. Jackson Brown Jr. describes the idea beautifully. Many drummers ask me about opportunity. Sometimes the question is “How do you get gigs?” Or it’s…
Concepts - Where's the Art?
I thought I would throw myself right into the fire for the New Year with a heated topic. I’ve experienced a lot of discussion regarding the artistry in music and drumming in recent years. I think every generation goes through…
The Julie Ruin's Carmine Covelli
The multitalented drummer with a penchant for science and technology brings us the affirmation we’ve been waiting for. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
On The Cover - Dave Weckl
For more than thirty years, his drumming has been put under a microscope so often that it might as well be given its own genus and species name. Two exciting new projects get us even closer to understanding its true…
Encore: Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
No matter how far out the pianist/singer takes things on this classic double album bursting with fresh ideas, drummer Nigel Olsson adds just the right touch. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Sebastien Grainger
Death From Above 1979 made a bold statement with its 2004 debut full-length, You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine. Drummer Sebastien Grainger and bassist Jesse Keeler created a unique sound together that was bigger than most would ever expect from…
Drum Miking 101, Part 1: Single-Microphone Setups (Video)
In this series we’ll look at how to mike a drumset, starting with a single microphone and adding one each time until we arrive at a complete close-mike configuration. The idea behind the series is to help you fully understand…
Basics - Radio Beats by Rich Redmond
In this month’s article we’ll take a look at some popular grooves on country radio right now. All of them are variations of what I call “money beats,” fundamental drumset rhythms that have been used on countless popular songs. TO…
Strictly Technique - Consecutive Flams
In part two of this series, we’re going to take out the taps between the flams so that the flams are adjacent. When you do that, the challenge becomes playing the consecutive flams with consistent grace-note placement and sound quality.…
Bebop Pioneer Stan Levey
The great bebop trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie affectionately referred to Stan Levey as the “original original.” The two met in Philadelphia in the early 1940s, a time when many jazz musicians called this city home, including Gillespie, John Coltrane, Philly Joe…
